The HighScope Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers

1
The HighScope Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers
Arranging and Equipping the Learning Environment
2
Objectives

• Discuss Heuristic Play and Treasure Baskets.
• Develop plans for incorporating non-typical
  materials into the learning environment.
• Organize sensory-motor materials that appeal to
  all of childrens senses.
• Discuss rationale for outdoor play.
• Identify guidelines for outdoor play space.
• Examine your own care and play spaces in terms of
  the guidelines.

3
Thoughts About Yesterday 4 Corners When it
comes to cleaning up around the house, Im most
like a
Boat Bus
Hot Air Balloon Train
4
Experiencing Heuristic Play

1. Find a partner.
2. With your partner, spend some time using the
   materials around the room in your own way.
3. Discuss what you learned as you worked with these
   materials.
4. Look at the KDIs and discuss what infants and
   toddlers learn.

5
What does Heuristic mean?

• Of, relating to, or constituting an educational
  method in which students learn through their own
  investigation. (American Heritage College
  Dictionary)
• Methods that help in problem solving.
• Experimentation trial and error.
• A planned activity which offers children the
  opportunity to explore various items using and
  developing all of their senses.

6
Why is Heuristic Play Important?

• Discuss
• Why is Heuristic play important to young
  childrens development?
• What is so different about it versus choice time
  or free play?
• What is different about the materials?

7
Heuristic Play Helps Develop

• Manipulative skills
• Imagination
• Memory
• Problem solving
• Concentration
• Anticipation
• Sequencing
• Cause effect
• Key Developmental Indicators (KDIs)

8
Heuristic Play

• Is different from choice or free play because it
  is more focused and purposeful.
• More engagement and concentrated play.
• Less noise.
• More problem solving.

9
Heuristic Materials Are

• Open-ended Can be combined and used in many ways
  which leads to more development.
• Challenging and encourages problem solving.
• Familiar everyday items.
• Made of many different textures.
• Unique in size, shape, and weight.

10
How does Heuristic PlayRelate to Active Learning?

1. Materials
2. Manipulation
3. Choice
4. Child communication, language, and thought
5. Adult scaffolding

11
Points to Consider

• Learning occurs when children can manipulate and
  choose materials, and can freely use their whole
  bodies and all their senses to do so.
• When children are actively engaged and given
  choices, this helps to reduce many frustrations
  and power struggles.
• When children have a variety of materials to
  choose from that appeal to multiple senses, there
  are less conflicts and more concentration.

12
Watch Infants and Toddlers InvestigatingHeuri
stic Play With Objects
13
You are most important?

• Your engagement with their play only enhances
  their learning, so
• Observe
• Be responsive
• Let babies make the choices
• Allow children time to problem solve
• Imitate their actions
• Follow their lead

14
Lets Try it Out!

• Divide into groups of 3s. (Teacher, 2 children)
• Choose 1-2 interaction strategies and materials.
  Role play this with your children. When you hear
  the signal, switch roles.
• Discuss
• Which strategies came easy to you and which ones
  were more difficult?
• What struck you about the interaction that would
  not have happened if you were not there?

15
So what does this mean for infants and non-mobile
infants and toddlers?
16
Active Learning

• Is different for non-mobile infants and toddlers.
• Non-mobile children learn just as much as mobile
  children if they are not confined in a seat or
  play pen and interesting materials are within
  reach.
• The types of materials that we choose for infants
  and non-mobile children are what they learn.

17
Treasure Baskets
18
What is a Treasure Basket?
Website Resources for Treasure Baskets www.herita
getreasurebaskets.co.uk www.treasurebaskets.org

• A shallow sturdy basket containing a collection
  of everyday familiar and natural items for babies
  and toddlers to play with.
• The items in the basket should vary in weight,
  size, texture, color, taste, temperature and
  sound.
• Materials appeal to all senses (taste, touch,
  smell, hear, see).

19
Look at the following videotape
Infants at Work
20
What are your thoughts about treasure baskets for
infants?
21
Materials and Safety
Materials that are not safe without the
caregivers interaction, only bring out when
you are there!

• What materials would you have out for children at
  all times and what materials would you not?
  (Think Safety!!)
• What materials are you uncomfortable providing?
  What other materials could you suggest that
  provides the same or similar experience? (Think
  outside the box)
• How would you make these materials accessible to
  your children (mixed ages)?
• What parts of the schedule and routine would you
  offer these materials?

22
Logistics of Heuristic Play and Treasure Baskets

• Incorporate safe materials in the environment.
• Offer these materials at appropriate times of the
  day
• Group times
• Awake times
• Choice times
• Outside times
• Allow time for investigation.
• You play an important role in their learning so
  you need to be present.

23
Taking a Look at Your Materials

• Look at the listing of materials on page 21-22 in
  TB. Place a checkmark next to items that you
  would like to incorporate into your rooms.
• Discuss with a partner, how you can begin to get
  these materials.

24
Organizing Materials and Making them Accessible

• Using area cards, place the materials in the
  various areas that you feel they should go
• Discuss
• What materials did you have difficulty placing?
• What materials would be accessible?
• Why is accessibility important for infants and
  toddlers?

25
Why Make Materials Accessible to Infants and
Toddlers?

• Materials can be stored in more than one area
• Making materials accessible promotes childrens
• initiative
• curiosity
• independence
• problem solving
• Sample list on pages 265-267 of Tender Care (2nd
  ed.).
• Children need access to messy materials (e.g.,
  water, sand, paint, dough, etc.).
• We as caregivers need to support and provide
  these sensory experiences
• Some materials may need to be accessible to
  toddlers but out of reach for infants
• Store materials in clear plastic containers with
  large screw-on lids so toddlers can unscrew but
  not infants.

26
Organizing the Environment with Labels

• Infants and toddlers respond to labels as objects
  to exploreto pick at, mouth, remove--normal,
  sensory-motor behavior.
• Objects are objects, if a bead is taped to a
  container it is fair game as well as the other
  beads in container. At this age the actual
  object does not work as a label.
• Need organization on shelves and containers.
• Older toddlers begin to make connections between
  labels and storage on the shelves. Some may see
  labels as a form of puzzle to master.

27
Piagets Development of Representation
Word
Rattle
Drawing or Sketch
Photo or Tracing
Real Thing
28
Organizing the Environment with Labels (cont.)

• Use clear containers so children can see what is
  inside. Out of sight-out of mind!
• Labels are more significant for adults because it
  gives a sense of order and they will be the ones
  most likely cleaning up.
• Labels begin to make sense to children when they
  begin at age 3-4 to develop a notion of
  representation or hold mental images in mind.
• Labels in an infant and toddler environment lend
  a sense of organization to adults that may be
  translated to children as they learn that
  materials are available and accessible to them on
  a daily basis. Learn from example.

29
Assessing Your Indoor Space

1. Turn back to your drawings of your own rooms.
2. Using page 37, follow the instructions and assess
   your environment according to the guidelines.
3. Redraw your space to include the new changes.
4. Share as a whole group.

30
Outdoor Play Space for ITs?

• Answers these questions
• Why are caregivers reluctant to go outside?
• What do your ITs like to do outside?
• What learning occurs outside (KDIs)?
• Why is outdoor play important to ITs?
• What are the benefits of being outside?
• Discuss as a whole group.

31
Benefits of Outdoor Play!

1. Air temperature changes improve childrens
   ability to adapt to cold and heat.
2. Cool and colder air improves appetite and
   energizes people of all ages.
3. Exercise and fresh air support childrens natural
   rhythm of sleep and wakefulness.

32
Benefits of Outdoor Play! (cont.)

1. Cooler, outdoor air generally contains more
   moisture and is easier on the bodys airways and
   immune system than drier heated indoor air.
2. Outdoor play provides a relaxing alternative to
   crowded living conditions.
3. Outdoor play provides many opportunities for
   sensory-motor learning.
4. Outdoor play puts children in direct contact with
   nature and living things.

33
What you Need for an Outdoor Play Yard for
Infants Toddlers

• Turn to page 34 in TB.
• Watch Outdoor Play in this video and look for
  these features.

34
Assessing Your Outdoor Play Space

• Turn back to your drawings of your own outdoor
  space.
• Using page 38, follow the instructions and assess
  your outdoor environment according to the
  guidelines.
• Redraw your play yard to include the new changes.
• Share as a whole group.

35
Implementation Plans

• Turn to page 39-40 and complete your
  implementation plans for your indoor and outdoor
  learning environments.
• Discuss assignments on page 41.
• Complete evaluations.